It’s hard to imagine having your hopes and dream taken away from you in a day. And dreams that were right around the corner. And having to re-imagineIt’s hard to imagine having your hopes and dream taken away from you in a day. And dreams that were right around the corner. And having to re-imagine who you are and what makes you special as a just a freshman in college.

I hope Ms Rogers updates this edition in 10 years so we can see how she used these experiences in her professional life....more

This is an interesting book about a really good crew team. Nothing more, nothing less. This team did the exact same thing in 1936 that the USA 8 man cThis is an interesting book about a really good crew team. Nothing more, nothing less. This team did the exact same thing in 1936 that the USA 8 man crew teams did in 1920, 1924, 1928 and 1932. The USA had not lost this event since they started entering it in 1920. So you can try to frame this story as poor boys from the wilds of the great northwest who beat Hitler on his turf, but they were supposed to win. To hell with the lane assignments. Germany is smaller than California. The story might be why we didn’t win more crew medals in 1936.

I would recommend this book because it does a great job of telling this story, but when I look at the 1936 rowing events I’m not sure this team was really the best story. Maybe these guys were poorer than previous crew teams and maybe the first from Washington, but so what. The West Coast was a big player in crew by the time 1936 rolls around. It wasn’t until I put the book down and walked away that I put the story back into a little more of a perspective that it was just a crew team. I’m sure there were a ton of interesting stories on the medal podium in Berlin in 1936 like Jerzy Ustupski of Poland who won a bronze in double sculls and later fought with the Polish resistance and in the Warsaw Uprising. There's a story. ...more

Even for fiction this is a weird family. And not in a funny Sedairs-type of family way. More like ‘I’m not surprised the police have gone to that housEven for fiction this is a weird family. And not in a funny Sedairs-type of family way. More like ‘I’m not surprised the police have gone to that house more than a few times’ kind of way. The story really could have ended after a few pages when their house burned to the ground with all of them in it. And the narrator is not reliable. Which can be interesting but will always keep you are arm’s length because in later passages the key characters can change in such a material way.

At the center of the story there’s the question about siblings and pets which is interesting. And the bottom line is people go nuts for their pets so as weird as they were I never felt they were unbelievable. Believable but I would sure as hell stay away from them. They’re the kind of neighbors that cause you to move....more

Eric Garner did not deserve to die for standing on a sidewalk with a history of selling cigarettes. It was atrocious police work and at the very leastEric Garner did not deserve to die for standing on a sidewalk with a history of selling cigarettes. It was atrocious police work and at the very least one cop should have lost his job. The LEAST. More reasonably he should have been charged with a crime.

I read this book because I wanted to understand the economics of selling loose cigarettes and what drives someone to do that for a living and just who is buying these “loosies”. I was not surprised to hear that it was high taxes that created the market and that most of the people who bought “loosies” were poor.

And although Garner did not deserve to be killed, when telling the Eric Garner story, Taibbi lets him off easy at times. Early in the book there is a mention of Garner going away to jail in the early 2000s but no mention of why and later on the same page there’s a mention of Garner renouncing his children forever which would seem like it would need more than one paragraph. Although Taibbi doesn’t ever use these terms, he makes it pretty clear that Garner is lazy and dumb. And he loves his kids. But his inability to hold down a real job is frustrating as a reader. Garner may dislike being told he doesn’t provide for his kids, but it sounds like for the most part he did not. There’s more to being a Dad than making sure your kids have name brand clothes on the first day of school. I would have been more impressed if he made sure they did their homework and he took them to the dentist. Being a Dad is an everyday grind and if you are doing stints in jail and then selling illegal smokes when you get out and eating a whole pizza and if it’s one slice then maybe you are doing it wrong. And, again, none of this justifies in any way his killing. But wouldn’t it just be easier for everyone if you just lowered the tax $1.50? If a tax creates a black market, then the tax is too high.

The flaw of this book is that the story of Eric Garner’s killing has nothing really to do with Eric Garner. It’s about policy and cops. And we get half of a book about that. I would have liked more on police work techniques, conflict mitigation, and police psychology. What did these cops do wrong? I still enjoyed reading about Eric.

And I think everyone realizes that police work is difficult. But when cops break the law and get away with it, it undercuts the trust the community has with the Police. And these guys got away with manslaughter, at least....more

**spoiler alert** I think I ruined part of this book by how I read it and part of that is the book’s fault. Because let’s not forget, I’m a white man**spoiler alert** I think I ruined part of this book by how I read it and part of that is the book’s fault. Because let’s not forget, I’m a white man and nothing is my fault. Stupid book.

Because the book has bite sized chapters I’d read it for 5-10 minute increments. And then I’d move on with my day of blaming others and yelling loudly. And I think reading in short bursts did not give the book an opportunity to sink its roots in me. I never got pulled into the blind girl running from the Nazis. God that makes me sound like a terrible person. I better not say that at book club.

The German kid’s story did pull me in. His relationships felt very real and the war scenes felt authentic except the child in the closet. Why was the mother not holding her? The scene the struck me the most was when Volkheimer stops to take clothes from the largest refugees. There’s such cruelty in that scene, I wondered if he was doing it because he knew that as the biggest guy he had the biggest responsibility to his group or if he was angry that these big men were not fighting but running. Or more likely, Volkheimer was just a dick.

The ending was satisfying. Overall it was well put together and paced, I’m not sure if there’s any great passages of writing that stopped me in my tracks but … look it's about a blind girl running from the Nazis. If you say you don’t like it you’re pretty much a monster....more

An odd mish-mash of stories from a fairly odd person. You can also tell that she is very protective of some other characters in the story and that sheAn odd mish-mash of stories from a fairly odd person. You can also tell that she is very protective of some other characters in the story and that she has no interest in spilling secrets. She keeps herself mostly hidden behind the curtain leaving you wondering what she is hiding. But I'm not too worried because it's probably just plants.

**spoiler alert** The good thing about this book is that it did evoke a reaction out of me. I hated everyone in the book. People behaved so poorly in**spoiler alert** The good thing about this book is that it did evoke a reaction out of me. I hated everyone in the book. People behaved so poorly in this book that I went straight past, “I don’t believe these could be real people” to “Good Lord I’m not sure any of these people can be redeemed.” The guy at the liquor store not only sells HARD booze to a kid he KNOWS is under age, BUT HE GIVES HIM ANOTHER BOTTLE!!! If I tried that in PA they would have called the cops and my parents. Not that calling this kid’s parents would have done any good. The Dad left him at his own sister’s funeral. I thought for sure that was a dream sequence but nope. Just atrocious parenting. These parents don’t even hang around when he’s getting interviewed by the cops. Not that the Dad didn’t care, he just had other things to do like cheat on his wife with his assistant directly after the funeral. Even the Assistant should have said, “Yeah buddy … this is kind of messed up.” But she didn’t because she’s in this novel, thus she is horrible. And also to the Dad, is it really that hard to learn to make a hardboiled egg. Boil a pot of water, put an egg in, wait 11 minutes. Boom, peel the egg and you’re done. Nath should have taught himself that. And he’s Harvard material? Probably because he’s going to grow up to be a 45-year-old Wall Street banker yelling at his maid, “I want a hardboiled egg!” And yes, Nath is terrible because he pushed his little sister in a lake knowing she can’t swim. And Lydia ain’t better. She tried to steal Nath’s thunder when he gets into college. And that’s after she tries to hide his acceptance letters. And even her non-friends are terrible. Pam Sanders says about Lydia, after she’s dead, “I don’t even think the boys noticed her.” (p.200) That is just is so mean that I’m almost surprised someone would say it but way more surprised that a newspaper would print it. That leaves Hannah, that little kleptomaniac. The book should have ended with her confronting her parents telling them that SHE’S leaving and is going to be adopted by a nicer family in a better novel. And yes, the mother is terrible, she left her family, which actually I am okay with. But then not staying committed to staying away and getting caught when she's pregnant. Lack of commitment and focus. Also, be nice to your mother. She’s your mother! She bakes with love you ingrate. And if you don’t teach your kids how to swim you are terrible parents.

I also felt the book laid itself out as a murder mystery thed devolved into a domestic novel which as Barbara has point out to me, I don’t like. And I didn’t like this one either....more

A well written story that dances between novel and memoir. It’s a short read that needed more focus on Ann Mary rather than the side players. It’s reaA well written story that dances between novel and memoir. It’s a short read that needed more focus on Ann Mary rather than the side players. It’s really her story....more

Why would you turn your back on medical advances for color coded outfits? Even Hitler was trying to make better giant tanks. The History channel neverWhy would you turn your back on medical advances for color coded outfits? Even Hitler was trying to make better giant tanks. The History channel never shuts up about it. And if dudes are really running this world, I can tell you the FIRST rule I’m getting rid of: Having my wife around when I’m making happy times with my “handmaid”. The dude that suggested that nonsense pretty much gets kicked out the Commander club pronto. The wife and the Handmaiden hold hands while the Commander is trying to ‘command’? Really? Who wins in that terrible scenario? No heterosexual dude is coming up with that. I’d vote for Trump over that guy. And to my Mother who sometimes reads these reviews, I’m sorry Mom. But that’s what happens in this book and I’m 47 years old now so I know some of life’s mysteries. Now if I could only iron the front of my pants …

I didn’t love the story at the beginning. I needed more back story. I wanted to understand why she became so subservient so quickly. I wanted to know who was running this world and why more people were not fighting back other than those vicious Quakers. I felt like I was missing pieces.

The writing doesn’t disappoint. When the Commander gets the Handmaiden away from his wife;

“He sits up, begins to unbutton. Will this be worse, to have him denuded, of all his cloth power? [Holy crap ‘denuded, of all his cloth power.’ is brilliant.] He’s down to the shirt; then, under it, sadly, a little belly. Wisps of hair.”

The word “sadly” just sickles the legs out the male commanders. It’s a 3.5 for me but since I have to choose I’m rounding down because there’s just not enough action, not enough back story, and far far too much Scrabble.

I also wonder how much the gender of the reader will change the reading experience....more

The human species is a bunch of morons that procreate so much that enough of us we’ll eventually adapt enough to survive. This book is a story of someThe human species is a bunch of morons that procreate so much that enough of us we’ll eventually adapt enough to survive. This book is a story of some of those morons. At this point the story of human survival is pretty much a race pitting colonizing outer space versus the next asteroid impact. And since Mars and the Moon pretty much look like the Dust Bowl and (spoiler alert) we survived that so I think we might have a chance. Save us Elon Musk!

As for the book, I don't think it really did enough to describe what ended the Dust Bowl. It spent a lot of time talking about how the soil was destroyed. But then it rains a little, we changed a few farming techniques and it was fine. And stop telling me how hard of a worker you were. Sure I sit in an office but people managing is no walk in the park either. Jeez....more

There are two main characters in this book. A beautiful, clever girl who men fawn over like medicated puppy dogs even though she treats them like dirtThere are two main characters in this book. A beautiful, clever girl who men fawn over like medicated puppy dogs even though she treats them like dirt and a guy who’s pretty much let this woman commander his happiness. The female character is CLEARLY the author’s perception of herself while the guy needs a friend like me who can smack some sense into him. And because these two characters spend most of the book apart it creates two distinct stories with their own styles. When we are following the female character, it reads like a diary, there is no rising plot or character development. Just a string of random people that are introduced in clumps and we never hear from them again. When we are following the man, it reads like a novel. There’s tension, conflict, and characters we are not sure about. This might be a rare case when I say, “Don’t write what you know.”

And she can clearly write, it is rarely the writing that disappoints. It’s the characters themselves that at times find you putting the book down and cause you to wonder what they are creating over on the History channel’s “Forged with Fire”. Rest assured, it’s awesome. These characters at time lack maturity to the point you want to send them to their room to think about what they have done. The ending was maddening. I walked away frustrated, but ready to pick up another one of her books, provided she wasn’t in it....more

The dialog zips but the rest of the story sags. The characters felt they were created just to deliver quips back and forth. The crime is almost secondThe dialog zips but the rest of the story sags. The characters felt they were created just to deliver quips back and forth. The crime is almost secondary to the monologues and insults. At least there is a lot of dialogue. Look, I never got into swing dancing either so maybe I’m just missing out....more

This is a 700+ fantasy story with an unlikable braggart narrator. He’s someone that lasts about 1/3 of the way in a better fantasy novel before he dieThis is a 700+ fantasy story with an unlikable braggart narrator. He’s someone that lasts about 1/3 of the way in a better fantasy novel before he dies due to his arrogance like a SUV driver not wearing their seat belt....more

It was an odd mixture of interesting and unpleasant. The book read more like diary entries than a researched piece and sometimes I felt her personal cIt was an odd mixture of interesting and unpleasant. The book read more like diary entries than a researched piece and sometimes I felt her personal comments took away the flow of the narrative, but the chapters are so short it wasn’t that big of a deal. I’m really glad that someone does this type of work and it’s good to know that some of the $600 billion we spend on defense had positive impacts on civilian life. But “Blessed are the peace makers” because fighting in war is the worst. There's two chapters on dicks getting blown off. Blessed are the medical & health care professionals that care for these soldiers. And kudos to the cadavers. That really is such an awesome gift. I think Roach has a book on the topic that I may read.

And although I enjoyed the book I don't see me talking too much about it at dinner parties,“I just read a great book about diarrhea!”...more

No one needs to read this book. It was written for the money and whose purpose was to say belittling things about others with the hope it would reflecNo one needs to read this book. It was written for the money and whose purpose was to say belittling things about others with the hope it would reflect positively on Alec Baldwin. But if you really like Alec Baldwin, then go ahead. Don't let this review stop you.

When speaking about his high school friends, “I didn’t feel that I was better than them, although many of them struggled greatly in school.” Kinda sounds like you did feel you were better than them. These friends are never named because the litmus test to getting mention in the book is, “Does mentioning you, make me look better?” We saw Alec Baldwin in San Francisco on his book promotion tour. He was funny and engaging. And TOTALLY full of himself. “I realized I had an above-average empathy for other people’s feelings.” REALLY? Yeah … I’m not so sure about that. You called Harrison Ford, “… a little man, short, scrawny, and wiry, whose soft voice sounds as if it’s coming from behind a door.” That made laugh but I think Harrison Ford is taller than Alec Baldwin. And Baldwin better take a look in the mirror if he’s going to start throwing appearance stones. He’s about 60% of the way to 'Santa belly'. And even when he has a point he acts like such a spoiled brat that you struggle wondering how Janine Turner almost married this guy. He sounds downright Trump-esque when he says “Patriots Games (which Ford starred in as Jack Ryan ) … made less money than Hunt (which Baldwin starred in as Jack Ryan prior) when adjusted for inflation.”

Although the book has 16 photos, there is only one with a sibling and none of his parents. That’s just weird for a memoir.

There were themes in this book that I’m not sure if Baldwin intended. One, he quit on shit (a lot) and never took responsibility. Two, he has an odd relationship with money. There’s a lot of mooching early in his life but once he gets a taste of the cash it changes his decision making.

None of this doesn’t mean he’s not a good actor or 30 Rock wasn’t a great show. He’s just a self-absorbed actor that wouldn’t help his over worked mother with the laundry when he was a kid....more

**spoiler alert** At first this is just a well written book about a family of unremarkable jerks. The author even makes it a point to tell you they ar**spoiler alert** At first this is just a well written book about a family of unremarkable jerks. The author even makes it a point to tell you they are unremarkable. But as the book moves along they become even less likable. I can barely stand it when a co-worker tells me about THEIR terrible family. I don’t need to read a book about it. I don’t say this a lot, but this book needed more deaths or at least some meaningful jail time. If I met any of these people in real life I think Merrick would be the only one I could stand, and that would only be if she was insulting her brother’s horrible family. But by the time you reach the end you realize this really was just ‘Lolita’ re-imagined as if that relationship worked out and they had a family together. Yeah, it really should be called “Hooray for the Perv!”...more

Does this story take place in Russia? Because I’m not sure where else in the world 16 year-olds buying kegs doesn’t raise some eyebrows. And who are tDoes this story take place in Russia? Because I’m not sure where else in the world 16 year-olds buying kegs doesn’t raise some eyebrows. And who are these half-wit parents that are unaware their kids are throwing loud keg parties where recent Mouseketteers come stumbling out? And the neighbors don’t call the cops? Hogwarts is less of a fantasy land than this school.

Look, I know you want to write YA novels that young teens can identify with but in all these books the kids are smarter than the adults. Really? Didn’t Clay start using deodorant, like, a year before the events of this book but now he’s outwitting his parents to say out? Have these writers not met parents of teens? They aren’t parents, they’re more like wardens.

And yeah, this book glamorized suicide. So, that’s a big knock. But I did read a YA book that was about televised children fighting each other to the death, so … maybe I’ll leave that to someone else to dissect. But the writing is like an American sports fan watching European soccer players exaggerate their injuries. It makes you close your eyes, sigh audibly and wish people could just have a little more pride in themselves....more

Recounting events is not necessarily telling a story, especially when it’s fiction. When it’s fiction you have more leeway and can add any flavor or sRecounting events is not necessarily telling a story, especially when it’s fiction. When it’s fiction you have more leeway and can add any flavor or spice you want. There is an expectation of rising plot, conflicting characters, and setting descriptions. Just because a character is based on you doesn’t mean they have to be as boring as you. Looking at this book as just a novel and outside of historical context it’s pretty flat. Even scenes that should be dramatic feel like roll call. The writing during the first half is strong and carries you along, but once you hit the second half, the writing becomes blander and the story’s flatness becomes more apparent. I’m sure this book is littered with literary devices related to Vietnam and its history. But I still need to know why the guy choose to be a communist. ...more

It is kind of depressing to read a book where you know every new person introduced is going to be dead in 5-10 pages.

"And then I met Tom." Oh Jesus TIt is kind of depressing to read a book where you know every new person introduced is going to be dead in 5-10 pages.

"And then I met Tom." Oh Jesus Tom get out of there. "Tom was 45 years old, a father of two who liked to play basketball on the weekends." RUN TOM RUN!! "One day ... " OH NO ... "Tom felt short of breath and took a tumble at work." Damn it Tom. "Turns out Tom had terminal cancer."

The value in reading this book is being reminded to A) making sure your wishes are well known and you know the wishes of your loved ones. B) Don't fall. ...more

Perhaps the best last few pages in any novel I have read. Not because it has some "Sixth Sense" twist, but finished with a satisfying flourish that IPerhaps the best last few pages in any novel I have read. Not because it has some "Sixth Sense" twist, but finished with a satisfying flourish that I have not forgotten it in decades.

No idea how Seagal did not option this into a movie and butcher it to pieces....more

Is Colm Toibin a pervert? I don’t know, just asking. This is a story about a girl leaving home for another country on relatively short notice and therIs Colm Toibin a pervert? I don’t know, just asking. This is a story about a girl leaving home for another country on relatively short notice and there’s no scene where she says good bye to her family, yet she gets to America and I get 3-4 pages of her trying on bathing suits? And the scenes with the greatest focus are the scenes of physical closeness. I can see the guy crowded over his keyboard, breathing heavy, “and then she goes to the beach [panting] and gets in the water …” It was just a little creepy by the end.

The book is harmless otherwise. I hear the movie is delightful and it’s clear in the movie that she loves the guy, but in the book it’s not so clear. There’s some real questions finishing this book on where her heart truly lies. And I can’t decide if it was written that way to leave room for a sequel of if Colm just didn’t know himself. Eilis really lets life just take her along. She’s a good person, who works hard and treats people with respect. But as a character in a book, she’s pretty ehhh.

And lastly, where are the potatoes? Its about an Irish girl living in an Irish boarding house and no mention of the Greatest Vegetable? Outrageous....more

If Karl Mark had a Goodreads account and if he wrote a review of Factor Man, it’d go something like … “Screw all these bastards. All of ‘em!” There arIf Karl Mark had a Goodreads account and if he wrote a review of Factor Man, it’d go something like … “Screw all these bastards. All of ‘em!” There are no heroes in this book, just villains. It’s just rich dudes stealing form other rich dudes. It’s interesting that these rich factory owners were hurt by disposable furniture when they practiced disposable workers from day one. And I’m glad they could save a furniture factory and the 700 or so jobs, but this is the ultimate capitalist story. This is rich dudes exploiting vulnerable people and just calling it “business.” International trade and competition can be wonderful things, but that doesn’t mean you should be allowed to pay people dirt. Where ever these factory jobs end up these workers should make a living wage.

As for the book itself, the first 200 pages are essentially a gossip column about a family no one really likes. By the time the Factory of Factory Man shows up you detest the family so much you are kind of cheering against the Factory. And this book needs a few appendices like a map for where factors were, when they opened, when they closed, how many people lost their jobs, what they made, who ran them, etc. This books jumps chronologically and there are so many similarly names people it’s difficult to follow. And the author clearly wanted Basset to come off as the hero because he talked to her the most....more

Do you think Patchett was writing this book and thought, “I’ll just have the family be from the center part of the country”, picked Nebraska and thenDo you think Patchett was writing this book and thought, “I’ll just have the family be from the center part of the country”, picked Nebraska and then went there in the winter for research and realized she had to make it way more crappier? In this book, Nebraska in wintertime is essentially a frozen hellscape where Walmart is an oasis. The happy parts of the book all deal with getting out of Nebraska.

Unlike “Bel Canto” and “State of Wonder” this book doesn’t have an unlikely chain of events you have to accept. It sticks with the two halves of this guy’s life (Pre and post Nebraska) coming together in a very human way. This book felt like real people in real situations trying to find happiness.

It's a solid 3.5, but I'm going to round down because the Nebraska events felt a little predictable....more

This read more like a Soap Opera than a war novel. I’m not sure if it was meant to be a war novel. Maybe it was meant to be a romance novel. If it wasThis read more like a Soap Opera than a war novel. I’m not sure if it was meant to be a war novel. Maybe it was meant to be a romance novel. If it was meant to be a romance novel then I don’t know if it was any good because I’m pretty much a dude. Ask me about the NFL RedZone, I can talk about it for HOURS! I didn’t feel anything for the Isabelle love story. Frankly I don’t think they spent enough time together to fall in love as dramatically as they did. Vianne’s relationship felt more real to me. Maybe because it was more established. The events of the story felt overly dramatic which may not be fair because it was set in occupied France. But as the story built after each turn I became more detached so when I arrived at the ending I was not forgiving. And the ending is fairly ridiculous. And I am not even sure why we needed the dueling story line of characters later in life.

The story did have pace that got moved along by secondary characters who were dealing more with the matters at hand (the war) rather than matters of the heart. Specifically watching Beck deal with his loyalties, frustration and sense of justice. I wished other characters like Anouk and the Pyrenees crew were more fleshed out, but maybe that was because I was more interested in the war than the romance. I was leaning towards giving this book 2 stars but I’m going to give it an extra point since I wouldn’t know a good romance novel if it hit me in the face or if I read it cover to cover....more

There is exaggerated nonsense in aspects of this story you set aside because the story has a few characters that you care about. It’s a story withoutThere is exaggerated nonsense in aspects of this story you set aside because the story has a few characters that you care about. It’s a story without villains and heroes. Just people driven by their own motivation trying to do their best. The generals are never given a full character treatment and I think that holds the story back just a little because by ignoring their motivations turns the story into too much of a romance novel. And the story’s pace mirrors a hostage situation, fast start … followed by a lull as we feel things out, people start to get comfortable, and abrupt ending. But you read along because you want to see what fills the minds of these poor fools they forget about their normal day-to-day lives.

The short epilogue should be ignored. It was like ending a meal with a shot of Pepto-Bismol. No one ever wanted this and especially not here. ...more

About 145 pages of justified indignation and about 1 page of an actual plan. And that plan has me giving up 5 hours a week. Ralph likes to spend my frAbout 145 pages of justified indignation and about 1 page of an actual plan. And that plan has me giving up 5 hours a week. Ralph likes to spend my free time like we are dating or something. Fans of Ralph will find little that is new here, but that does not mean it's not worthwhile or incorrect in any way. $5 per acre for companies to mine public lands because a law from the 1870s hasn't been updated feels like we are getting ripped off. And the term "power law" was an interesting concept. I saw Ralph speak at City Lights (publisher) and he pretty much covered the whole book there so there wasn't much new. I still love the guy. ...more

The i-Ching is basically an ancient horoscope generator. Maybe that’s not 100% accurate, but in the case of this book that’s what it does. Now imagineThe i-Ching is basically an ancient horoscope generator. Maybe that’s not 100% accurate, but in the case of this book that’s what it does. Now imagine a story where people actually pay attention to their horoscope and let it motivate their actions. How could you possibly care about these people? I couldn’t. The Juliana character is totally erratic and probably a lunatic. And for a book this short there are too many plot lines with lunatics. You never stay with one character (who behaves consistently) long enough to feel anything. The plot feels like it was randomly generated by the iChing. Just events stacked one upon the other and it’s left to the reader to find the cohesion....more